The Line That Divides America!

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:00]Ever wondered why 80% of Americans live east of this line while only 20% are in the west and most of those westerners live in California, Oregon, and Washington. That means just 9% of Americans live in half of the mainland US about the same as New York City's population. Why is that? Geography plays a big role here. The Rocky Mountains block rain from the Pacific creating a rain shadow. Meanwhile, precipitation from the east doesn't reach far west due to Gulf winds.

[00:00:31]This makes the land too dry for farming which explains the low population density.